Do Urban Europeans Trust Their Fellow City Dwellers? Immigration, Group Threat, and Intergroup Contact in 63 European Cities

The issue of immigration is becoming increasingly salient, and has emerged as a prominent political matter in the Scandinavian countries. Using multilevel modelling employing data from the statistical bureaus of Denmark, Norway and Sweden in combination with the latest round of the European Social Survey, the link between the percentage of immigrants in a region and individual’s level of ethnic tolerance is examined. Most previous comparative studies of attitudes toward immigration have used European countries as level-2 units. We apply a new approach, investigating immigration at the regional level in these three fairly similar societies. Our findings show that regional diversity is associated with higher tolerance which is in accordance with intergroup contact theory. The relatively small size of immigrant populations together with the presence of post-materialistic values due to a relatively high standard of living makes the Scandinavian countries less receptive to mechanisms associated with group threat theory.

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Reducing Prejudice Through Narratives

Journal of Media Psychology Theories Methods and Applications ◽

10.1027/1864-1105/a000249 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 185-195 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Emily Moyer-Gusé ◽

Katherine R. Dale ◽

Michelle Ortiz

Keyword(s):

Intergroup Relations ◽

Self Efficacy ◽

Intergroup Contact ◽

Contact Hypothesis ◽

Muslim Americans ◽

Intergroup Anxiety ◽

Intergroup Interactions

Abstract. Recent extensions to the contact hypothesis reveal that different forms of contact, such as mediated intergroup contact, can reduce intergroup anxiety and improve attitudes toward the outgroup. This study draws on existing research to further consider the role of identification with an ingroup character within a narrative depicting intergroup contact between Muslim and non-Muslim Americans. Results reveal that identification with the non-Muslim (ingroup) model facilitated liking the Muslim (outgroup) model, which reduced prejudice toward Muslims more generally. Identification with the ingroup model also increased conversational self-efficacy and reduced anxiety about future intergroup interactions – both important aspects of improving intergroup relations.

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Secondary Transfer Effect of Contact

Social Psychology ◽

10.1027/1864-9335.40.2.55 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 40 (2) ◽

pp. 55-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 146

Author(s):

Thomas F. Pettigrew

Keyword(s):

Cognitive Dissonance ◽

Experimental Research ◽

Intergroup Contact ◽

Transfer Effect ◽

Evaluative Conditioning ◽

Transfer Effects ◽

Secondary Transfer ◽

Primary Reduction

This paper reviews the evidence for a secondary transfer effect of intergroup contact. Following a contact’s typical primary reduction in prejudice toward the outgroup involved in the contact, this effect involves a further, secondary reduction in prejudice toward noninvolved outgroups. Employing longitudinal German probability samples, we found that significant secondary transfer effects of intergroup contact exist, but they were limited to specific outgroups that are similar to the contacted outgroup in perceived stereotypes, status or stigma. Since the contact-prejudice link is bidirectional, the effect is inflated when prior prejudice reducing contact is not controlled. The strongest evidence derives from experimental research. Both cognitive (dissonance) and affective (evaluative conditioning) explanations for the effect are offered.

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